Ignition device for internalcombustion engines



E F. SEBESTA May 29, 1951 IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Aug. 22, 1947 Patented May 29, 1951 IGNITION DEVICE FOR INTERNAL- COMBUSTION ENGINES Edward F. Sehesta, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application August 22, 1947, Serial No. 770,092

4 Claims.

This invention relates to intermittent electric spark systems and more particularly to ignition systems for internal combustion engines.

It is a general advantage of my invention to provide a novel and improved intermittent spark system adapted to intermittently produce a continuous series of high frequency, high voltage sparks.

It is another object of my invention to provide a novel and improved ignition system for internal combustion engines adapted to produce a series of ignition sparks of high intensity across the electrodes of the engine spark plugs when the engine is turning over at slow speed as in starting during cold weather.

Itis a further object of my invention to provide an ignition system with a spark coil which has a vibrator controllably connectable in the primary circuit thereof to produce a series of high voltage electrical impulses in the secondary circuit of the coil whenever the distributor breaker points are open and thereby materially increase the intensity of the spark across the electrodes of the spark plugs particularly at slow cranking and starting speeds of the engine.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Figure 1' is a side elevational view showing a vibrator spark coil embodying my invention.

a Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the coil illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, central, longitudinal sectional view of the vibrator portion of the coil illustrated in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a wiring diagram of an ignition 1 system for an internal combustion engine showing the connection of my vibratorspark coil therein.

Figure 5 is a schematic wiring diagram of the device.

I provide a conventional ignition coil l having primary winding l'l, ferrous metallic core I2 and secondarywinding 13. A conventional distributor It has a rotary shaft Ma. adapted to be driven, a pair of breaker points l actuated by a rotary cam I6 and a plurality of stationary contacts [1, I

a fixed central contact 18 and a distributor rotor l9, cam l6 and rotor l9 being mounted on shaft 14a. The central distributor contact 18 is connected with the secondary winding I3 by wire 20 and a plurality of spark plugs 2 I, such as the plugs of a conventional internal combustion engine, are connected respectively to each of the stationary contacts ll by individual wires 22. The primary winding II is connected with one of the breaker points [5 by a wire 23 and the other point [5 is grounded to the engine of the vehicle through cam l6 and distributor shaft Ma. A condenser 24 is connected across the point [5 to provide a sharp cut-off of the current when the breaker points [5 are opened by the cam I6 and thereby induce a greater voltage in the secondary winding l3 and prevent arcing across the points IS. A conventional Wet-cell storage battery 25, or other source of electrical supply, supplies the current to the primary Winding I l and the primary circuit through the breaker points IS. A suitable ignition switch 26 permits the primary circuit to be controllably opened and closed. The above described structure comprises a conventional ignition system as used on modern internal combustion engines.

In addition to the conventional ignition system above described I provide a vibrator 21 having a fixed contact 28, vibrating armature 29 and vibrating contact 30 fixed to said armature 29. The armature 29 has a resilient arm 29a fixed thereto which normally urges said armature 29 out of engagement with the end of core [2 adjacent thereto and into engagement with fixed contact 28. The resilient arm 29a has its other end fixed to a suitable frame 29b which is grounded through the engine by the wire 3|.

Means for disabling the vibrator 21 are provided. One is a camming wedge 3-2 mounted on the pivot 32a for controllably locking said vibrator contacts 28 and 30 in open position by holding said armature 29 against the core 12. The pivot 32a is fixed to the frame of the vibrator and a handle is provided to controllably swing the camming wedge into engagement with the armature 29. The other disabling means is an electrical switch 32 interposed into the ground wire 3| in series therewith to controllably open and close said primary circuit through said vibrator and when opened to disable said vibrator circuit and render said vibrator 21 inoperative.

In extremely cold weather it is very difficult to start conventional automobiles and a great deal of gasoline is Wasted and the electrical energy stored in a battery is quickly dissipated. Due to the increased viscosity of the lubricating oil of the engine the resistance to cranking is extremely great in cold weather. Also the output of the conventional battery is materially reduced by extremely cold weather and it is very breaker, then through contact difficult to start internal combustion engines because or" an insufficient spark to ignite the raw gasoline pumped into the combustion chambers of the engine during the choking thereof. The above described device is designed to produce a series of high intensity sparks across the electrodes of the spark plugs when the engine is turning over at relatively slow speed such as starting ahd cranking speeds. The conventional distributor breaker points produce only a single spary at the instant the breaker points l5 are opened by the cam 56. With the vibrator 21 connected to the coil Iii as above described a series of high voltage sparks of greatly increased intensity will be produced across the spark plug electrodes 2la during the entire period when the breaker points l5 are open.

In Figure 5 a schematic wiring diagram is shown. This includes the usual coil with the primary winding Ii and the secondary winding i3 as well as the core E2. The breaker comprising the cam l6 and movable contact are shown. The conductors with switches 26 and 33 therein together with battery are also shown. From this diagram it will be more clearly seen how the vibrator circuit is closed only when the regular spark circuit through the primary is open and that the vibrator circuit is open When the regular circuit through the primary and breaker is closed. The regular circuit through the primary can be readily traced from batter 25 through the conductor and switch 26, through primary H, through the conductor 23 to the stationary contact of the i5 to ground. When this circuit is closed, as shown in the diagram, armature 29 will be attracted by core 12 and be held away from contact 28. When cam [5 moves contact I5 and opens the regular spark circuit through the breaker, armature 29 will be released and with switch 33 closed a vibrator or buzzer circuit will then be completed through the primary and through the conductor extending therefrom to armature 29 and through contacts 28 and switch 33 to ground. It will readily be seen therefore that the regular spark circuit through the primary ii is closed that the vibrator circuit is inoperative.

The following is a description of the operation of my improved ignition system for internal combustion engines. Ignition switch 26 is initially closed and the circuit through the Vibrator 2'! is closed by removing the wedge 32 and closing the vibrator cut-out switch 33. As the engine is cranked by the starter motor the cam l6 intermittently opens and closes the. breaker points l5. When the breaker pbints l5 are closed a first primary circuit is established from source 25, ignition switch 26, through primary winding ll, wire 23, breaker points i5, cam 19 and distributor shaft Ma to ground. As soon as the cam 16 opens the breaker points 15 the condenser 24 is charged to sharply cut off the current through the winding II, establishing the secondary circuit and producing a single high voltage electric impulse in secondary winding l3, wire 20, central distributor contact 18 through rotor l9 to one of the stationary distributor contacts 51 and thence through one of the wires 22 to the spark plug 2| to which it is connected to produce an initial single spark across the electrodes 2Ia. This is the extent of each of the sparks produced by a conventional ignition system but with my vibrator 21 permitted to operate, immediately after this initial spark is produced the armature 29 is resiliently urged away from core 12, which is then de-energized by opening of the primary circuit through separation of breaker points 15. A vibrating primary circuit from source 25, through switch 26, primary winding ll, vibrator contacts 28 and 30, wire 3! and switch 33 to ground is established to energize said core i2 again, which again attracts armature 29 to open the first primary circuit and produce a second spark across electrodes 21a of the particular plug in the chamber being fired. This successive making and breaking of the vibrating primary circuit induces a series of high voltage impulses in the secondary circuit and produces a continuous series of high intensity sparks across the spark plug electrodes 2ia whenever the breaker points [5 are open. Since the vibrator vibrates at a much higher rate of speed when the engine is being cranked over than that at which the breaker points are successively opened and closed a series of very high voltage high frequency sparks is produced across the electrodes 21a to completely ignite all of the gasoline compressed in that particular combustion chamber and obviously fire that particular charge. The condenser 24 acrossthe points I5 is also operative across the points 28 and 3% to sharply cut off the current each time the vibrator contacts 28 and 38 are open to induce sharp electrical impulses in the secondary circuit.

This vibrator 2? is generally only used for starting the engine and thereafter is cut out by either one of the before described methods for disabling the same and the automobile operated on the conventional ignition system.

It will be seen that I have provided a highly efficient spark coil connected into a conventional distributor ignition system which will greatly intensify the spark produced at slow cranking speeds by providing a series of intermittent sparks across the spark plug electrodes 21a whenever the breaker points [5 are open, to completely fire the charge within that particular combustion chamber.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An auxiliary starting device for an automobile, which automobile has a spark coil with primary and secondary windings, an electrical circuit including said primary winding, a breaker device for said circuit, an electrical circuit including said secondary winding, a distributor and spark plugs, the combination of a Vibrator having a pair of contacts adapted to be opened and closed very rapidly, said primary winding form ing the actuation coil of said vibrator so that when said vibrator is operated a circuit through said primary winding is opened and closed at very short intervals and a series of sparks are prouced at said plugs and means for rendering said vibrator inoperative when said primary circuit is closed, whereby only one coil is used for said primary winding and vibrator and a low resistance can be had so the strong sparks are produced in said series.

2. An auxiliary starting device for an automobile, which automobile has a spark coil with primary and secondary windings, said primary winding having low resistance, an electrical circuit including said primary winding, a breaker device for said circuit, an electrical circuit in-- eluding said secondary winding, a distributor and spark plugs, the combination of a vibrator of the buzzer type having a pair of contacts which are opened and closed very rapidly when said vibrator is operating said vibrator comprising a coil which is constituted by said primary winding so that a circuit is opened and closed very rapidly through said primary winding when said vibrator is in operation whereby a series of sparks are produced at said plugs and means for rendering said vibrator inoperative when said primary circuit is closed and for rendering said vibrator inoperative when said primary circuit is opened whereby only one coil is used for said primary winding and vibrator, thus giving low resistance and whereby strong sparks are produced by said vibrator.

3. An auxiliary starting device for an automobile, which automobile has a spark coil with primary and secondary windings, an electrical circuit including said primary winding, a breaker device for said circuit, an electrical circuit including said secondary winding, a distributor and spark plugs, the combination of a vibrator having a pair of contacts adapted to be very rapidly engaged and disengaged, and a coil which is formed by said primary winding, a core for said primary winding, said vibrator also having a V1- brating armature positioned to be attracted by said core when said primary circuit is closed to hold said pair of contacts separate and to render said vibrator inoperative and third electrical circuit which is very rapidly opened and closed through said primary winding by said vibrator when said primary circuit is opened by said breaker.

4. An auxiliary starting device for an automobile which automobile has a spark coil with primary and secondary windings and a core for said primary winding, a primary electrical circuit including said primary winding, a breaker device for said circuit, a secondary electrical circuit including said secondary winding, a distributor and spark plugs, the combination of a vibrator of the buzzer type having a pair of contacts adapted to be very rapidly engaged and disengaged, a coil for said vibrator which is formed by said primary winding, a vibrating armature for said vibrator positioned to be attracted by said core when said primary circuit is closed to hold said pair of contacts separated and to render said vibrator inoperative, one of said contacts being carried by said armature, means for moving said armature away from said core, and a circuit including said pair of contacts and primary winding which is very rapidly opened and closed by said vibrator when said primary circuit is opened by said breaker to cause a series of sparks at said plugs.

EDWARD F. SECBESTA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,092,417 Williams Apr. 7, 1914 2,412,540 Sellaro Dec. 10, 1946 

